Pittsburgh Postgame

Sideways

Helluva Engineer
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1,589
Punt and we have a chance to keep them out of FG range. As it is we gave them the ball in FG range already. Our offense hasn't been nearly good enough recently (since 2014) to warrant that kind of risk.
I understand what you are saying but do you really think that defense was going to keep them out of field goal range? I would have gone for it too unless you have a center running down to block a safety when you only need a yard. What was he thinking? Just a really gut wrenching and frustrating loss.
 

MGTfan

Ramblin' Wreck
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715
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Atlanta, GA
I agree with going for it - I just didn't like the call. They were weak on the edge all game but strong up the middle. I don't remember many dive plays getting over three yards.

Well all we needed was one...I'm fine with the decision to go for it and I'm fine with the play call. Fact is CPJ made the decision, so he has to live with the result. For the past two years the result has been, one way or another, us losing. I've defended CPJ as much as anyone, but I think it's time for him to go. I think he's done some good things at Tech and I think he's been under appreciated by the majority of the fan base, but it appears we're on a downward spiral that I don't see ending anytime soon.
 
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1,403
Why do you think we would have stopped Pitt if we punted? Pitt scored on 7 of their 9 drives for the game. One of the two failed drives ended because of an unforced fumble.
The defense stopped them before the half, which allowed the offense to score. They punted in the second half and fumbled. The offense had the game in their hands and f'd it up. You ask paul if he has the ball with less than 3 minutes to go in the game to drive for the win, he would take it. Ted has had four years to get his system and players in the fold, so shouldn't he have the same chance as Paul has?
 

jeffgt14

We don't quite suck as much anymore.
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5,897
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Mt Juliet, TN
Shoulda, coulda.... same crap different day. I'm not gonna blame CPJ and I'm not ready to fire him. Our team needs someone to step up. Maybe Lynch needs to be a bit more vocal. Don't care if he is a SO. So is the rest of the team.
 

CuseJacket

Administrator
Staff member
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19,626
The defense stopped them before the half, which allowed the offense to score. They punted in the second half and fumbled. The offense had the game in their hands and f'd it up. You ask paul if he has the ball with less than 3 minutes to go in the game to drive for the win, he would take it. Ted has had four years to get his system and players in the fold, so shouldn't he have the same chance as Paul has?
Pittsburgh never punted in the 2nd half. We only stopped them with the unforced fumble. See drive stats posted earlier.
 

Vespidae

Helluva Engineer
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5,346
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Auburn, AL
Well, just keep having low expectations for GT and you will never have any sense of disappointment.

That's a bit of rude response and frankly, I think you're off base. I'm VERY vocal that we are not doing enough even given the constraints of the program and it would not take a lot to put us into a Top 25 program. But I'm not in charge. It's Todd's baby so let's see what he says.

I welcome your thoughts on athletic competition though, without the crappy tone.
 

Lee

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
841
If the DE would have been blocked, it might have worked as a reverse or a nice pass play... We'll never know.

Yea, if Stewart had just a little more time, Juene or whoever was running up the seam was about to break free. He just had to tuck it (wisely) before he had a chance to throw it. I wasn't a big fan of the play call because we were having success in our traditional O, but that's not why we lost the game by any stretch.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't really like running plays like that when we are having success on O. I feel like plays like that are for when we are stalled on O. i.e. First half of the Clemson game (I wouldn't have had a problem with the Mills pass if it happened in the 1st half of that game). Doesn't really matter that much. Our defense would give up 6+ YPP to anyone with a top 75 offense with the awful scheme we trot out there every week. We will be lucky to be 6-6 unless our offense play almost perfect from here on out.
 

1979jacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
653
We didn't play a bad game today - some times these things happen. Seriously guys. It was a tough loss but I see some guys really getting better. Simmons, Lynch, Jeune. Hang in there. I hated losing too but the breaks didn't go our way. Tipped pass for 70 yard TD - bounce the winning fg off the goalpost and in. Are you kidding me!!!
 

gtg936g

Helluva Engineer
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2,142
I think the call to go for it was the correct call.

They wouldn't have punted either if the shoe was on the other foot.
 

Lee

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
841
You do realize that we went to the toss on 2nd down and it was a TFL

Both of our 4th and 1 conversions were to the edge. I would say 80% of our ground production today was on the edge, maybe more. We had very little success all day up the middle. It's a lot easier to get to the edge when you compress their defense like they were on 4th and 1. They also don't have the speed of a team like Miami or Clemson. With the being said, if Freddie gets a hat on #6, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
 

JDjacket

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
635
This **** is annoying for me as it is for anyone. Entire family has been GT so losing is rough. I honestly don't know what to say. If I was coach, I go for it on 4th down for the same reasons. I don't think the D could do enough. Maybe they would have but based on 4 quarters they couldn't. We were up and got to a tie game on a fluke tip and score play... can't blame that on anyone... that just happens

I'm probably more aggravated than anyone. The phrases insults and names I've said during the course of this game should prob have me on some watch list but it's because I'm passionate about our team. I still believe we can make a bowl based on southern Duke and UVA (and UGA piss on em ).

I only wish we as fans could communicate to the players to not give up. Sometimes players don't make the plays you want or coaches fail but for the love of God they need to know we support them. You can hate roof or Paul or whoever all you want. But don't let them think we give up. Every week we should think we win out regardless of the record to this point. Let's ruin VT or UNC schedule.
 

GT_B

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
670
I just don't blame roof for all the defensive woes. Yes, he plays a very safe, vanilla defense and it drives me crazy to watch.

But this comes down to the players making plays. We have ZERO impact players on defense. Please don't even mention AJ gray, the dude has been invisible all season. Griffin is terrible in pass coverage, but at least he is good at stopping the run and occasionally lays a big hit.

This is mainly on the lack of defensive game changers being recruited since PJ came here. Too many ABs and not enough defensive studs. Too many whiffs on DL and LB. I understand we are not going to get many beast on the DL because most of them aren't very bright and would never make it at tech academically, but you got to land 1 or 2 every so often. We get no penetration or pass rush and we are incredibly slow in space, which highlights our lack of speed on defense as a whole.
 

bke1984

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,607
We definitely should have punted. He must have thought there was no chance to stop them... which points to some really big concerns I've had about or D

This isn't anything new. In eight years it seems like more often than not we are having to out score teams to win while running a ball control type offense. Where on Earth is the commitment to defense?

I want or HEAD coach to start answering more often to why we are so soft on the defensive side of the ball. Why have we given up TDs on the opening drive of the game so often? Why are we so overly aggressive on offense, yet so apathetic on defense?

Our O played good enough to win that game, but we acted liked defense was just a formality.

We've played better at times on D this year, but often I've thought it was because teams did not exploit our weakness...and Pitt did just that.

Paul didn't punt on 4th because he knew we'd give up a FG. Just like everyone else on this board...but the real question we all need to ask is why is that the case? How on earth can we be that bad on defense?
 
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